Don't Be Afraid to Board that Bus

Someone once told me, “You know Pastor, everyone wants to go to heaven, but not everyone wants to board the bus to get there.” That bus is coming. Try as we might to prevent it from coming too soon, that bus will eventually come to our stop. For the believer, you could say that driver of that bus is none other than Jesus himself. When his bus pulls up to our stop, the door will open, and he will say to us, “it’s time to go home” because as the hymn reminds us, “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.”

The Bible talks plenty about death. There are two ways to face death, with Jesus or without him. I highly recommend the first way. We don’t know how much time we’re going to have here on earth. Each new day brings the bus one mile closer. We can’t keep it from coming to our stop, but we should be prepared for its arrival.

Because actually there are two busses traveling up and down the road of life. One belongs to God. The other belongs to the devil. God’s bus makes its final stop at a place where everyone wants to go but not everyone will go. The devil’s bus makes its final stop at a place where no one wants to go but unfortunately many will go. The devil drives a clunker of a bus made to look like a party bus. He tries to convince people that it’s the place to be! He puts overtime into his work hoping he can lead people to do the same in theirs to the point where there’s no time for things like church and God’s Word in their lives. He promises that sin will be fun hoping no one will expose his empty lies. The devil’s good at what he does as he tries to lure people into his bus.

But God doesn’t want that. He wants all people to be with him in heaven and his bus has more than enough room to make that happen. The Bible tells us, “God our Savior, wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Whereas the devil is driven to have people spend an eternity with him in hell, God is even more driven to have people spend an eternity with him in heaven. Think about this truth. What sacrifice did the devil make so that people could be with him in hell? None. Think of the sacrifice God made so that people could be with him in heaven! He gave his one and only Son. Out of love for us, Jesus came to earth to be our Savior. Born in physical poverty and placed in a manger so that we could be spiritually rich and have a place with him in heaven. Jesus paid the punishment that should have been ours so that we could be with him in heaven. He willingly gave up his life on the cross and in so doing forgave all of your sins. Then Jesus rose from the dead and because he did, we will too.

The bus is coming. Make sure you’re on the right bus. Make sure by making frequent and faithful use of the means by which the Holy Spirit gives you the assurance that you are. Spend time in God’s House and in God’s Word and at God’s Table where you are reminded that Jesus has washed your sins away, that Jesus has dressed you in the robe of his righteousness, that Jesus has given you the gift of heaven, that you are ready to go when the bus comes! Hold your ticket in your hand as you stand at the station. That ticket is Jesus and that ticket is yours. Tell others about the free ticket that’s theirs in Jesus. The bus is coming, and when it does, we know that our Savior will say to us, “welcome aboard. Next stop, your heavenly home.”

Pastor Carl Schroeder

St. Peter's Lutheran - Sturgeon Bay